Jacob e



(No Model.)

J. E. BLooM.

BALL TRAP.

Patented Mar. 1o, 1885. Zjf

` INVENTOR WITNESSES LJ r l N. PETERS. Plmmbmagmpher. washmgmn. n, C.

ilivirnrl' drames PATENT erica,

JACOB E. BLOOM, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE LIGOW'SKY CLAYPIGEON COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

BALL-TRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 313,804, dated March10, 1885. Application filed March 22, 1882. Renewed August 6, 1883. (Nomodel.) Patented in England December 7, i881, No. 5,346.

To all whoml it 11i/ay concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB E. BLooM, of Cincinnati, in the county ofHamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Targctfliraps, of which the following is aspecificatienlI My invention relates to ,that species ol'ftraps used forthrowing glass, balla clay pigeons, and other like inanimaltetargets;and it consists, primarily, in combining with the coiled spring whichactuates the lever that throws the target a second spring, setrevcrsely, to intercept, accompany, and take up the recoil of saidlever.

It further consists in various features and details of construction,such as hereinafter described and claimed, whereby this combination isachieved in the manner which I at present deem preferable.

In the drawings, Figure lisa side elevation of a trap embodying myimprovements. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the head of the trap, showingthetwo springs, lever, catch, and certain accessories; and Fig.`3 is asection of the head, exposing the exterior or throwing spring andinterior or recoil spring.

A represents a tripod-support for the operative parts of the trap, j anda a rack formed in an annular iiange surmounting the tripod. B is ashort standard-section turni-ng in a socket or bearing formed in thehead of the tripod on a common center with, the rack, and baloaded pawlor dctent hinged to the section so as to be dropped intoiany one of theinterdental spaces ot' the rack, and thereby hold said section and themechanism it carries in any desired radial adjustment. At the top ofthis short section is a serrated or notched knuckle engaging with asimilar knuckle on the lower end of a second standard-section, C, andthrough theseknuckles passes a pivot-bolt, c, receiving on itsscrew-threaded end a thumb or lever nut, c', whereby the two sectionscan be'clampcd in different angular adjustments upon theirconnecting-pivot. A third and nal standard-section, D, is secured to thetop of the second or intermediate one by similar knuckles, pivot-bolt d,and clamping-nut d', arranged, however, at substantially right angies tothe former, so that by means of the and as a preferred means for itsembodiment,

but are not indispensable to it.

Aside from the improvements about to bc described, they and certainother parts here inafter adverted to, and also introduced by way ofillustration and preference, do not differ, essentially, fromcorresponding parts shown in Letters Patent No. 252,230, granted toGeorge Ligowsky on the 10th day of January, 1882, where theirconstruction and mode of operation will be found more fully pointed out.

Centrally from the standard-head E rises a spindle, c, which receivesand serves as a bearing for the hub f of the targctlever F orthrowing-arm. This lever has at its lower end a clamp, f', or otherdevice for temporarily holding the target to be thrown, and is impelledin the throwing movement by an independent strong coiled spring, G,confined at one end in 4a socket in the standardhead, and at the otherseated against said lever, such construction insuring a regular andinvariable sweep of the lever around a fixed pivot instead of thecomparatively uncertain sweep of the corresponding arm in the patentjust referred to, which was simply a tangential prolongation of theupper end ofthe spring. As in said patent,the length of the throwisregulated by a segmentrack, H, and swiveled tensionarm l, carrying atits outer end the triplatch c', whereby the lever is held against thestress of the actuating-spring preparatory to its effective movement,although it is obvious that a straight rack or along trip-latch havingseveral notches for the engagement of the lever will accomplish thisobject nearly or equally as well, or that some other expedient can beadopted to vary the tension of the spring and increase or decrease itsthrowing power.

If the actuatingspring alone is used,the lever l bringing up abruptlyand flying back with a is brought up with a sudden and violent stop atthe end ol'l its sweep, often jerking off the tongue and shattering thepigeon, and .snapshots are made at the flying fragments, to theannoyance of the marksman. To overcome this defect, l apply a second andweaker spring` K, wound reverscly to the flrst,to receive the impact ofthe lever. This second or recoil spring, for greater compactness,strength, and security, is placed within and concentric with theactuating1 or throwing spring, as below described; but such arrangementis for the stated economical purposes only, and does not affect in anyvital manner the mechanical functions of said spring,which requiresolely that it shall be reverse to the other in its action, andsufiiciently weaker so as to yield with the impact of theradiallysweeping lever, and finally check it and return it to itsposition of rest.

ln the inst-mentioned preferred construction a collar, 7i', is formedupon the standardhead, encircling the hub ot' the throwing-lcver atsufficient distance to afford a considerable annular pocket. wThe collarrises somewhat beyond the coils of the actuating spring, to which itsouter wall forms a support or core, and is advisably ilanged slightly attop, to guard the upper coil from springing over when wound up. rlheannular pocket re ceives the .recoil or check sin'ing, which, like theactuatiiig-spring, is confined at one end to the standard-heim, and atthe other presses against the lever-arm, but in this instancercverselyto the foregoing, so as to take up its lthrust. A thimble, li',ot' hard wood or soft metal, is interposed between the lever-hub and thecoils of the, inner spring. to prevent undue friction and wear, and thisthimble, like thecollarwhich separates thetwo springs and shields onefrom interference with the other, is flanged, or has a circumferentialgroove at top or near to the lever-arm, to prevent escape of the uppercoil oi' the adjacent spring` when it is wound up. Either or bothsprings may, il' desired, be made adjustable.

'lhe action is briefly as follows: The throwing lever, being in theposition indicati-d oy dotted lines in Fig. 2that is, set for aclionisreleased by del'uessing the trip-latch or trigger in the usual lnanner,and is at once inlpelled by its powerful actuating-spring in the properdirection for the delivery of the pigeon. At a suitable point in thisradial throwing movement, and at its maximum speed, hline-ets theprojecting upper end of the :recoil spring, and is sufficiently checkedto cause the pigeon to become disengaged and take its tangentialdeparture in flight. This check, however, is so tempered by the yieldingor winding of the spring before the lever that, although the pigeon iscertainly disengaged, there is no danger of breakage either to itself orto the lever, and the latter is gradually brought to a full stop andgently returned to its position of rest, instead of violent recoil ofits actuating-spring.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination in a target-trap, of astandard header support, a throwing arm or lever pivotedl thereto, acoiled spring ar ranged to actuate /said arm in its throwing movement,and an oppositely-coiled spring arranged to meet and gradually check thelever when it is 'at about its throwing-point.

2. The combinatiorrwith the pivoted throwing-lever in a target-trap, oftwo concentric springs wound in opposite directions, and arranged one toactuate the lever in its throwing movement and the other to receiveits'impact when it is at or near the dischargingl point and graduallycheck it.

3. The combination, with the pivoted th rowing-lever in a target-trap,of two concentric springs wound in opposite directions, and act# ing inthe mannerset forth, and a shield or partition which separates the coilsof one spring from contact with the coils ofthe other.

4. The combination, in a target-trap. of a head or support adjustable asset forth, a throwing-lever pivoted to such head and carrying at itsouter end a holder for the target, an independent! coiled spring seatedat one end against the head and at the other bearing against the lever,to actuate it, and a trip-latch to which the lever may be connected atvarying distances fi'om its position oi" rest to give greater or lesstension to the actuating- Spring.

5.l The combination, in a target-trap, of a standard head or support, alever pivoted thereto, a collar rising t'rom theh'ead and inclosing anannular pocket around the leverpivot, an actuatingspring wound about theexterior of the collar |and urging` the lever in its throwing movement,and a recoil or check spring seated in the annular pocket and receivingthe impact of the lever at about tho moment it is to discharge thetarget.

6. The combination, substantially as described, with the pivotedthrowing-lever and with the checkispring coiled around its pivot. of thethimble placed within the coils of said spring, and flanged or groovedcircumferentially ne t to the lever-arm to confine the adjacenticoil of"the spring when it is wound.

7. The combination, substantially as'described, with the piv tedthrowing-lever and with the coiled actuatingspring by which it` IOO IIO

In testimony whereof I aix my signature in presence ot' tvToiwitwiesses.

